Trevor May will be a Starter

[HitInAPinch]

Another player article from the Star Tribune:  Trevor May will be a Twins starter.  So saith new Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey.

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-trevor-may-both-hope-his-relief-days-behind-him/412065543/

 

Really hope so.  May's body just can't handle RP work.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Another reminder of how human these players are and how badly they want to succeed.

[70charger]

Woo!

 

I think it's way too early to relegate him to the bullpen. He should have taken some lumps in the rotation last year and been ready to go again this year.

 

But better late than never.

[Dozier's Glorious Hair]

1. Santana

2. Santiago

3. Gibson

4. May

5. Hughes? Berrios? Mejia?

[beckmt]

Like this move, but probably more the health issues.  Duffey can move to the pen and Twins have more relievers coming than starters.

[beckmt]

I like this rotation.

1. Santana

2. Santiago

3. May

4. Hughes, if stuff returns, otherwise DFA option

5. Berrios/Mejia/ other FA signings(Hammel?)

 

Just do not see Gibson as a ML starter.

[ashbury]

May's body just can't handle RP work.

This armchair-GM is taking May as a reminder that starting and relieving require different and non-transferable abilities. A reliever is not simply a guy who lacks one or two of the necessities for starting.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Personally, I'd be willing to give Duffey another shot at starting. He might need to start in AAA at the beginning of the season, but I'm not quite ready to give up on him there yet.

 

My problem is that I don't want Santiago in the rotation.

[TheLeviathan]

This armchair-GM is taking May as a reminder that starting and relieving take different and non-transferable abilities. A reliever is not simply a guy who lacks one or two of the necessities for starting.

I think that lesson applies for a great deal of position/role changing in baseball. At least at the professional level.

[HitInAPinch]

 

This armchair-GM is taking May as a reminder that starting and relieving take different and non-transferable abilities. A reliever is not simply a guy who lacks one or two of the necessities for starting.

 

Date               Injury                                   Status

09/21/2016  Diagnosed stress fracture      Shutdown rest of season
09/12/2016  Strained lower back                15-Day Disabled List
08/07/2016  Strained lower back                15-Day Disabled List
06/10/2016  Lower back spasms                15-Day Disabled List
04/25/2015  Arm  Day-To-Day

 

It's been reported that, even as a starter, May will occasionally need an extra day off because of his lower back issues.  The Twins made some fubars the past few seasons.  This is a pretty big one.

The Twins have some young RP's that were introduced to the MLB last season and have some more in the MiLB.  May not being in the bullpen should not happen this year.  There is no need.

[mikelink45]

Santana

May

Berrios

Mejia

Gibson

 

At least we have the potential to be better.

Put Santiago and Hughes in and we might be better this year, but not potentially better - not a playoff contender.  Give these players a year to develop - trade Santana at the deadline, put Hughes in the Bullpen with Saniago and move them in when Santana and maybe Gibson are traded.  But let the younger guys pitch.  

[gunnarthor]

I think this is another example of the FO taking certain decisions away from Molitor. Adding Pickler to the dugout also helps. Molitor has a great baseball mind but doesn't seem to be a good baseball manager, if they can fix the things he's bad at we might not see the disaster we saw last year.

[nicksaviking]

Personally, I'd be willing to give Duffey another shot at starting. He might need to start in AAA at the beginning of the season, but I'm not quite ready to give up on him there yet.

 

My problem is that I don't want Santiago in the rotation.

I'd guess it would be Mejia over Duffey if they're going to bump Santiago. If only to keep a lefty in the rotation.

[jorgenswest]

I am often skeptical of the block argument thinking that performance can trump any block. This is one case where the signings of free agents did block a young player and alter the trajectory of his career.

 

Of the 8 seasons we have received from Hughes, Santana and Nolasco we did get two solid full seasons in Hughes first and Santana's second. Were those two solid seasons, both in losing years, worth it?

[TheLeviathan]

I am often skeptical of the block argument thinking that performance can trump any block. This is one case where the signings of free agents did block a young player and alter the trajectory of his career.

Of the 8 seasons we have received from Hughes, Santana and Nolasco we did get two solid full seasons in Hughes first and Santana's second. Were those two solid seasons, both in losing years, worth it?

Right, we moved May because we didn't want to move Pelfrey or any of the other vets. This was a Ryan and Molitor decision that seriously hurt the team.

[Craig Arko]

Best news I've heard this offseason.

[jorgenswest]

Duffey had a few things working against him last year.

 

He had a very high HR/FB ratio of 19.5% vs 7.8% in 2015. Is that bad luck or a skill?

 

While his groundball rate stayed high, he had a significant drop in double play rate. Could the very poor play from SS last year with Nunez and Polanco getting many innings and Escobar not healthy contributed to his downturn? It might have had an impact on our other groundball pitcher in Gibson.

 

It isn't very often you see an ERA of 6.43 and an xFIP of 3.89. That difference has to be close to historic. Can the difference be attributed to historically bad luck and historically bad defense or does the ERA better represent Duffey's skill?

 

The defense on the left side does not look improved this year. Perhaps the Twins are wise to go with a fly ball pitcher in May rather than pitchers who throw ground balls like Duffey and Gibson. Maybe they can find a team that values defense after the Twins release them.

[Boom Boom]

Date Injury Status

09/21/2016 Diagnosed stress fracture Shutdown rest of season

09/12/2016 Strained lower back 15-Day Disabled List

08/07/2016 Strained lower back 15-Day Disabled List

06/10/2016 Lower back spasms 15-Day Disabled List

04/25/2015 Arm Day-To-Day

 

It's been reported that, even as a starter, May will occasionally need an extra day off because of his lower back issues. The Twins made some fubars the past few seasons. This is a pretty big one.

The Twins have some young RP's that were introduced to the MLB last season and have some more in the MiLB. May not being in the bullpen should not happen this year. There is no need.

This is a big reason why I'd like to see the Twins be more proactive with roster moves. I think it's a good idea to periodically call a guy up from AAA for a spot start just to give the rest of the rotation a rest. In the past they've mostly done this just in response to an injury.

[USAFChief]

I am often skeptical of the block argument thinking that performance can trump any block. This is one case where the signings of free agents did block a young player and alter the trajectory of his career.

Of the 8 seasons we have received from Hughes, Santana and Nolasco we did get two solid full seasons in Hughes first and Santana's second. Were those two solid seasons, both in losing years, worth it?

May wasnt moved to the pen because he was "blocked." He was moved to the pen midseason 2015 because the Twins found themselves in contention and in dire need of bullpen help.

 

If anything, rather than blocked by signing veterans, he was forced to the pen by the failure to sign pen help.

[jimmer]

 

Another player article from the Star Tribune:  Trevor May will be a Twins starter.  So saith new Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey.

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-trevor-may-both-hope-his-relief-days-behind-him/412065543/

 

Really hope so.  May's body just can't handle RP work.

May approaches spring training, his fifth big-league camp, with roughly the same uncertainty as a year ago. Healthy again after an injury-filled 2016, the 27-year-old has been promised a shot at a starting role, just as he was last year. This time, though, he believes the opportunity is legitimate.

 

“Last year, the [pitching] schedule was set early in the spring, and there were four guys who were [scheduled] all through the spring, and then guys like me who were more start-to-start. So it was pretty clear,” May said, that manager Paul Molitor and General Manager Terry Ryan preferred to keep him in a setup role. “I’m not stupid. I knew there were eight starters [in competition for five jobs] and I had bullpen experience. I knew that the easiest decision would be to put me in the bullpen.”

 

Yeah, May himself knew that last offseason, he had no shot at the rotation.

[DocBauer]

I hate going back in time yet again, but I am still absolutely flabbergasted to this day that a struggling Pelfrey was kept in the rotation...especially considering he wasn't coming back in 2016...over a young, developing May. Maybe he still has his injuries last season, maybe not, but how much better do we feel heading in to 2017 with May as a starter if he had actually been allowed to be a starter in 2016? But he was more valuable...injured...in a relief role so Albers and Dean could start games for us? Just absolutely blows my mind.

[jimmer]

 

I hate going back in time yet again, but I am still absolutely flabbergasted to this day that a struggling Pelfrey was kept in the rotation...especially considering he wasn't coming back in 2016...over a young, developing May. Maybe he still has his injuries last season, maybe not, but how much better do we feel heading in to 2017 with May as a starter if he had actually been allowed to be a starter in 2016? But he was more valuable...injured...in a relief role so Albers and Dean could start games for us? Just absolutely blows my mind.

Hard to believe he is under team control for 4 more years.

[Dantes929]

Happy to hear this.   May was arguably our best starter at the time of the switch or at least in the middle of a pretty nice run.   His command and arsenal say starter.    Duffey needs to find command of his pitches again or he won't be any good as starter or reliever.   If he does get it back he would be good as either.   May, Berrios, Santana, Gibson, etc.    Capable of doing well.    As always, its up to them.

[nytwinsfan]

 

Another player article from the Star Tribune:  Trevor May will be a Twins starter.  So saith new Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey.

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-trevor-may-both-hope-his-relief-days-behind-him/412065543/

 

Really hope so.  May's body just can't handle RP work.

 

First Sano is in great shape and will be playing largely 3B, and now May is a starter. Things are looking good. I know people wish Falvey/Levine had done more this offseason, but all or nearly all of the moves/decisions they HAVE made have been pretty good so far.

[Vanimal46]

Great news! Hope his back pain goes away pitching on a regular schedule.

[jimmer]

'““People forget, the only reason he got bumped out of the rotation two years ago was that Ervin [santana] came back from [an 80-game steroids] suspension,” assistant GM Rob Antony said. “We looked at it and said, ‘Which guy is best able to adjust to the bullpen?’ And it worked out exactly like we hoped — he thrived in that role, and we were in the race.'

 

These kind of quotes make me absolutely crazy.

[TheLeviathan]

 

'““People forget, the only reason he got bumped out of the rotation two years ago was that Ervin [santana] came back from [an 80-game steroids] suspension,” assistant GM Rob Antony said. “We looked at it and said, ‘Which guy is best able to adjust to the bullpen?’ And it worked out exactly like we hoped — he thrived in that role, and we were in the race.'

 

These kind of quotes make me absolutely crazy.

 

That and May's "legitimate" quote really stuck out.

[darin617]

 

I think this is another example of the FO taking certain decisions away from Molitor. Adding Pickler to the dugout also helps. Molitor has a great baseball mind but doesn't seem to be a good baseball manager, if they can fix the things he's bad at we might not see the disaster we saw last year.

 

Not really sure it is up to any manager what a pitchers role is on the team.

 

Also, does May have an option remaining so he could possibly start the season in Rochester to make sure he will be stretched out enough to go 6+ innings?
 

[jimmer]

 

That and May's "legitimate" quote really stuck out.

A lot of people seemed to buy into the idea that Ryan and Molitor were planning on giving him a real shot at the rotation last year when many of us, (including May as it turns out) new it was BS from the start.

[Riverbrian]

 

'““People forget, the only reason he got bumped out of the rotation two years ago was that Ervin [santana] came back from [an 80-game steroids] suspension,” assistant GM Rob Antony said. “We looked at it and said, ‘Which guy is best able to adjust to the bullpen?’ And it worked out exactly like we hoped — he thrived in that role, and we were in the race.'

 

These kind of quotes make me absolutely crazy.

 

He was the best option to move to the bullpen... However... the Best Option would have been to actually improve the bullpen and moving someone else out of the rotation... Milone or Pelfrey I assume.

 

I don't disagree with the move if you have no intention of supporting your contending team with much needed solid bullpen acquisitions at the deadline. 

 

However... I strongly disagree with Terry Ryan not supporting his contending team with those much needed solid bullpen acquisitions at the deadline. 

 

I remember it well... It was the moment that Terry Ryan started to lose me and I started to think that maybe he wasn't the right person for the job.

 

Terry then totally lost me in the following off-season when he continued to not support his contending team with much needed solid bullpen acquisitions... and he did not acquire solid bullpen help despite stating in interviews that bullpen was the #1 need in the off season. 

 

May was fated to be in the bullpen once again in 2016 because:

 

A: Terry Ryan never acquired a decent replacement for May in the Bullpen. 

B: He saved the front office's rear by pitching well out of the bullpen in 2015 in a pressure packed pennant race.   

 

Neither was Trevor May's Fault. 

 

I sincerely hope that Falvey/Levine was sincere when they told Trevor he will get a chance to start. 

 

And I sincerely hope that Falvey/Levine... go out and sign some FREAKING RELIEVERS BEFORE FEBRUARY!!!

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